Failed NEET twice, youth allegedly cuts off his own foot to secure disability quota seat

Jaunpur: "I will become an MBBS doctor in 2026." Lakhs of medical aspirants likely gave themselves this self-motivation talk but a youth from Uttar Pradesh took on an unheard-of gambit to realise his dreams: he amputated his foot to be eligible for disability quota.

Suraj Bhaskar, around 20 years of age, had twice failed the medical entrance exam, NEET, for admission into a government medical college, leading him to take the extreme step and claim he lost a foot in a violent attack, police said. While police saw through his ploy, they are currently seeking legal opinion to determine what sections of criminal law could be levelled against him.

Findings of a police probe into the incident that happened in Khalilpur village in Jaunpur district were shared with Additional Superintendent of Police (City) Ayush Srivastava on Wednesday. The matter came to light after the aspirant's elder brother, Akash Bhaskar, informed police on Sunday that "unidentified assailants" allegedly assaulted Suraj the previous night, leaving him unconscious with a severed foot before fleeing.

Accordingly, a case was registered and an investigation launched, which was later handed over to City Circle Officer Goldy Gupta, he said. During the probe, police found several inconsistencies in Suraj's statement. Examination of his phone and questioning a woman whose number cropped up in the probe further deepened suspicion, police said. Investigators also recovered a diary belonging to Suraj in which he had written, "I will become an MBBS doctor in 2026."

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Failing to clear the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) examination twice, he slipped into mental stress, police said. To avail admission under the disability quota, he allegedly devised a plan to become physically disabled by amputating his own foot and staging the incident as a criminal attack, they said.

"The accused tried to mislead the investigation with a fabricated story, but his claims did not stand scrutiny during sustained questioning and examination of evidence," police said, adding that further legal action is underway. Line Bazar Station House Officer Satish Singh said Suraj is currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital.